Industry Profile: Professional Snowboarder TJ Schneider

Industry Profile: Professional Snowboarder & Artist TJ Schneider

TJ: Ummm I’m a guy that lives in Canada, I’m 28.

Shay: What is your job title?

TJ: Professional Snowboarder

Shay: What’s your educational background?

TJ: Just high school and a lot of guessing and testing.

Shay: Did your parents question your job choice?

TJ: Nope
Shay: What was your first set up?

TJ: Black snow mogul monster and my dad’s steel toe boots.

Shay: What is your current set up?

TJ: Capita horrorscope 152cm, Union Force SL, and Deluxe rough diamond 2 boots.

Shay: What was your first job?

TJ: I worked at a little shop called Allrose.

Shay: What’s a great day of snowboarding to you?

TJ: Pow shreds

Shay: How long have you been snowboarding?

TJ: 14 years

Shay: How many days do you get to ride a year?

TJ: I have no idea, I’ve never kept track.

Shay: What are some experiences from being a pro snowboarder?

TJ: Winning contests and traveling the world.

Shay: Did you plan on becoming a pro snowboarder? What contests did you start in?

TJ: Not when I started. My first contests were just local ones, the good old ASA Alberta Snowboarding Assocation. I never did well, but I always had fun.

Shay: What’s a typical day in your life?

TJ: Pretty mellow, these days I just get up and walk around or do computer stuff or paint a picture.

Shay: Snowboard Realms is a huge hit, what made you start it?

TJ: Lack of things to do and lack of money to film for a “real” project.

Shay: Does Snowboard Realms take up a lot of time?

TJ: Yes

Shay: Who does the filming and editing for Snowboard Realms?

TJ: I do it all.

Shay: What’s the best part of filming with a crew?

TJ: Nothing, ha. I don’t ever film with a crew I don’t like, would rather just film with my friends or just snowboard.

Shay: What’s your favorite trick?

TJ: I like just going down the hill with powder under my feet these days.

Shay: What’s your warm-up to snowboarding?

TJ: Sleeping or driving.

Shay: What are your thoughts on pro hoes?

TJ: I don’t really think about them at all.

Shay: Artwork is a huge part of your life, from photographs to drawings to board graphics…where do you come up with ideas?

TJ: I dunno, they just show up and come out the way they come out.

Shay: What’s been your favorite artwork/design to date?

TJ: Probably the one I did yesterday, I think I made it in a dream.

Shay: You work with your sponsors as a designer, what does that entail?

TJ: Just means I spend more time at the computer making things I think would be fun.

Shay: What’s the best perk you’ve gotten from your work?

TJ: Travel for sure.

Shay: Any disadvantages of your work?

TJ: I’m never home and I like to be home a lot.

Shay: Since you started snowboarding, what’s been the biggest change?

TJ: Everyone used to be my friend, now half the people think I’m gay cause of the music I listen to.

Shay: What’s the busiest time of year for you?

TJ: All year is busy.

Shay: Any upcoming projects you’re looking forward to?

TJ: Art show in Calgary and working with the Airblaster movie in August.

Shay: Education vs. Experience…which do you think is more important?

TJ: Both.

Shay: What advice would you give to people wanting to become a pro snowboarder?

TJ: Just snowboard.

TJ: I don’t know what I’ll be doing in the future, right now I’m just doing everything I can. Who knows what will happen or where I will be. If it’s one thing I learned in life is that you can’t plan too far ahead, “in a single second your whole life can change POW” better to just do things as you think of them rather than plan to do them later, you may never get the chance.

Shay: Final thoughts?

TJ: My final thought will probably “shit…I wish I would have…”